Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Dracula by Bram Stoker

80 reviews

nadia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

The book isn't without its flaws but I really got into it! I loved the storytelling format and there were certainly times where, despite its overall slow pace, the book felt like a page turner! Glad to have finally read this popular classic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexism

freemakd's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault and Stalking

akgeekgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

s3ag0at's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: War

corallydeer's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was a decently fun read! Since it was an edition with larger text, lots of pictures, and a simplified level of writing it was easy to get through and the writing style wasn't too awkward. I did feel like the story felt pretty rushed with this edition which made it hard to get into, so I had to keep reminding myself to read it. But overall I enjoyed it! I'll definitely have to read a full edition.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Death & Murder

(various people are killed by Dracula and his wives)

| Medical Content

(Seward and Helsing are both doctors; depictions of medical assessments and blood transfusions)

| Racial Slurs

(consistent use of the word "gypsy" throughout the book)

| Violence

(Dracula and his wives attack a number of people; the men and Mina confront the group of Romani people transporting Dracula's coffin and fight them)

| Animal Death

(Renfield collects various bugs and small animals to feed them to slightly larger ones)

| Death of Parent

(Lucy's mother passes away from shock; Andrew tends to his dying father throughout the story)

| Grief

(various mentions of funerals; Lucy grieves the loss of her mother a bit before passing away herself)

| Gun Violence

(the men use guns in the fight to get to Dracula's coffin)

| Injury/Injury Detail

(some minor discussion of the bite marks; one character receives a stab wound in a fight)

| Mental Illness

(Seward is a doctor at an asylum; Renfield goes back and forth through various depictions of mental illness)

| Suicidal Thoughts

(Jonathan decides that if they don't succeed at saving Mina from vampirism then he'll become a vampire with her to stay together as un-dead)

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

angelo_vossen's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

What month could be better to read this book in than October? Bram Stoker’s „Dracula“, published in 1897, is a classic piece of literature that has had a lasting impact on how vampires are portrayed, but it has both strengths and weaknesses.

The novel’s greatest strength is its ability to mix modern life with old superstitions. Dracula, a creature from ancient folklore, invades the logical and scientific world of Victorian England. Stoker cleverly builds suspense using different narrative forms — diaries, letters, and newspaper articles — making the reader slowly uncover the threat Dracula poses. This structure creates a sense of growing dread that keeps the reader engaged.

However, the book struggles with pacing. The first part, set in Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, is full of tension and mystery, but once the story moves to England, it slows down. The middle sections, where the main characters try to defeat Dracula, can feel repetitive and drawn out, losing some of the initial suspense.

The characters also feel uneven. Dracula himself is a fascinating villain — mysterious and terrifying — but his human opponents are less memorable. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray, for example, are presented as good, moral people, but they lack depth. Mina, in particular, represents the ideal Victorian woman — pure and nurturing — while Lucy Westenra’s tragic fate as the victim of Dracula reflects the era’s fears around female sexuality.

Additionally, the novel reflects 19th-century fears of foreign invasion. Dracula’s move to England can be seen as a metaphor for anxieties about foreign influences corrupting Western society. This idea, along with the novel’s conservative views on gender roles, has led to debate over whether „Dracula“ supports or critiques Victorian values.

In the end, „Dracula“ is a groundbreaking work that created an iconic figure of horror, though it’s not without its flaws. Its slow pacing, underdeveloped characters, and outdated moral views hold it back, but the novel’s dark atmosphere and exploration of deep societal fears still make it an important piece of literature. I have not read to many classic books yet, but „Dracula“ is definitely one of the better ones so far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Alcohol

bearystarry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a lot different than I'd expected it to be, but I still had fun reading it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I finally finished it, and I thought it was just fine. The writing was nice, and the story was interesting, but it's not really my thing. I do love classic horror though, and I'm happy I finally read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent